Combined rotor latch and hinge and car-top box carrier clamps

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a latching device that can function as a hinge or a latch. A door incorporating this latching device can be operated as a left hand (front) or right hand (rear) opening device. The device can be used for car-top carriers, tool storage boxes, merchant displays, truck storage boxes, and other applications that need to open from two sides. The device can have multiple locking, latching, and hinging elements. The latches can be locked using conventional key-operated handles, cam locks, or electronically. The device features direct visual and audible user feedback to confirm proper latching and locking operation. When used for car-top box carriers that attach to automotive roof racks, the device can use an “L”-shaped clamp with a safety catch.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application60/617,994, filed on Oct. 12, 2004, which is incorporated herein byreference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to latches for cabinet-typeutility enclosures and, more particularly, to a rotor latch and strikeinterface control system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Pin latches have been used to secure many types of utility enclosuresincluding car-top carriers. The pin is used as a holding element for thelatch as well as a pivot for the hinge.

A disadvantage of a mechanically controlled pin latch as described aboveis that often the pin needs to be retracted from a hinge element whileunder high loads. These loads cause excessive binding and may eventuallylead to failure of the access-control device (usually a key).

Another disadvantage is that most pin devices cannot withstandconventional temperature variations. The pin requires a substantialco-linear area which causes it to bind when cold. Leaving the co-lineararea loose is not an acceptable option because the tolerance leads tomechanical failure from vibration.

Another disadvantage of the pin latch is that it cannot provide a systemthat gives its user feedback that it is properly latched.

Also, because the forces needed to latch the device are often so high,the “rods” that connect the system together can fail. These failures canlead to serious accidents when this system is employed to latch acar-top carrier.

Existing devices in this field use clamping systems that requireinstallation by several persons. These devices have removable parts thatoften must be held in position externally to allow the clamps to beinstalled internally.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing, the present invention improves on the methods,operations, and interfaces of latching and unlatching a hinge. Thepresent invention makes it possible to remove certain components fromthe outside of an enclosure door. This improvement enhances security byproviding a more difficult point of attack. It also provides additionalexterior surface area on which to add decorative features to theenclosure door.

In one embodiment, this invention provides a combination of rotorlatches to enhance the latching of an enclosure. In a mechanismconsisting of more than one rotor latch, a common unlatching systemconnects to each latch to simultaneously unlatch all of the latches. Thecommon unlatching system can be mechanical, such as a rod or a pin tocontrol the rotor. It can be either electronically controlled by asolenoid or actuator or mechanically controlled by a quarter-turn camlock or other mechanical actuator.

In one embodiment, the present invention provides a mechanical indicatorthat can be seen from outside the enclosure to indicate the status ofthe latch position (or the status of the positions of the multiplelatches if so provided).

In one embodiment, the present invention includes a roller over thestrike or pin to reduce the friction of the mechanical interface betweenthe rotor and the pin or strike.

In one embodiment, an enclosure has a plurality of rotor latches andpins or strikes at opposite sides of the enclosure to allow theenclosure to be opened from either side. In this embodiment, at leasttwo rotor latches on the near side of the enclosure are used to accessthe enclosure, and at least two latches on the far side of the enclosureact as a hinge of the enclosure when the enclosure is opened from thenear side, and vice versa. In this embodiment, one or more of the rotorlatches are configured to act as a common hinge axis.

This invention is not limited to any particular type, style, orapplication of enclosure. In addition, although the preferred embodimentof the invention includes a door with single rotor latch interfacing toa single pin or strike in the cabinet of the enclosure, this inventionalso supports the opposite arrangement such as a rotor latch in acabinet that interfaces into a pin or strike in the door frame, as wellas many other types of door, cabinet, and mechanism arrangements as areavailable.

In one embodiment, the clamp system is a lever-operated cam, over-centerdesign that uses an “L”-formed grooved wire to hold a luggage orski-type box onto a automotive roof rack.

The first object of the invention is to improve the locking andunlocking operation of an enclosure interfaced to an improved rotorlatch and pin or strike mechanism.

The second object is to replace the manual access control of the rotorwith an electronic access control.

The third object is to provide a faster method for accessing and lockingthe enclosure.

The fourth object is to provide an enclosure that can be reliablyaccessed from either end of the enclosure.

The fifth object is to provide a more user-friendly electronicallycontrolled device to access and lock the door.

The sixth object is to provide a device that is battery powered,although the invention is not limited to battery-controlled operation.

The seventh object is to provide a rotor latch that when latched canoperate as a common hinge.

The eighth object is to provide an improved rotor latch that can beeffectively unlatched while a load force is applied to an oppositemember of the rotor latch.

The ninth object is to provide an improved rotor-latch system thatindicates to a user whether proper engagement and latching has occurred.

The tenth object is to provide a single-point access control for single-or multiple-point latches.

The eleventh object is to provide a latch system that supports manytypes of locking-control devices such as keys, handles, and electronics.

The twelfth object is to provide a structure for mounting the latchesand for adding support to an enclosure.

The thirteenth object is to provide a user with audible feedback of thelatching function.

The fourteenth object is to provide a user with a method to overcome anymalfunctions of the mechanism using the locking-control devices.

The fifteenth object is to provide a latching device that withstandscommon temperature variations without a degradation of operation.

The sixteenth object is to provide a clamping system that installs andclamps tight from inside an enclosure.

The seventeenth object is to provide an “L”-shaped wire to the clamp.

The eighteenth object is to provide a safety device to the clamp toprevent accidental lifting of the clamping handle.

The nineteenth object is to provide a safety device that keeps the clampand box on the car-top carrier when the clamps are not tightened.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

While the appended claim sets forth features of the present invention,the invention, together with its objects and advantages, may be bestunderstood from the following detailed description taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a rotor-latch mechanism with two rotorlatches according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a close-up perspective view of one of the two rotor-latches ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the rotor-latch mechanism of FIG. 1 inan unlatched position;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a rotor-latch in a latched position; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the rotor-latch mechanism of FIG. 1 in alatched position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following description is based on illustrative embodiments of theinvention and should not be taken as limiting the invention toalternative embodiments that are not explicitly described herein.

Turning to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the presentrotor latch 100 including a rotor 102 and a latch-release mechanismwhich is mechanically or electrically locked. If the rotor latch 100 ismechanically locked, then it includes a lock core or a handle 104 with alock core. If the rotor latch 100 is electronically locked, then itincludes an electronic control interface added to a mechanical releasemechanism, an access control device, and a power source.

The rotor latch 100 is mounted inside of a housing that serves tosupport a rotor pivot shaft, as well as providing a structure forcontrolling the strike 106. Control surfaces allow the strike 106 torotate while keeping the strike 106 confined, thereby preventing themember to which the strike 106 is attached from becoming dislodged. Thehousing is further mounted to a co-linear support frame that spatiallyaligns and reinforces one, two, or more rotor latches 100 to fitspecific enclosure designs. The housing also has surfaces that align thestrikes 106 as they begin to engage.

The rotor 102 pivots about an axis parallel to a door's hinge axis. Therotor latch 100 is constructed from high-strength materials such assteel or brass. The rotor latch 100 has two states of operation: latched(strike 106 engaged) and unlatched (strike 106 not engaged). The rotorlatch 100 can be spring- or gravity-biased to its unlatched position,but that is not required for operation. Motion of the rotor 102 isgoverned by the strike 106 moving in and out of contact with it. Theforce required to generate motion to the strike 106 comes from directinput from a user, either by pulling the strike 106 out of engagement orby pushing it into engagement. This operation is similar to that of acommon automobile door lock.

As shown in FIG. 4, the rotor 102 is prevented from rotating whenlatched by a spring-biased, linear motion, physical blocking device 108.This device 108 moves perpendicularly to the rotor pivot shaft. Theinterface to the rotor 102 when latched is relatively small. A physicalblocking device indicator (a key or handle 104) can easily overcome thefriction from this small cross section. By requiring the use of a smallsection, the motion of the blocking device 108 is not critical to properoperation. The blocking device 108 can have a substantial over-travelmotion without negative impact. This device 108 is co-linear when usedwith multiple axially aligned latching devices 100.

The physical blocking device 108 interfaces with the rotor 102 so as toprevent the rotor 102 from returning to its latched position until therotor 102 has a strike 106 inside its physical opening and is rotated tothe proper latched position.

A key or handle 104 serves as the indicator. The indicator handle 104 isattached physically to the blocking device 108. The indicator handle 104is a crankshaft-type device that translates the linear motion of thespring-biased physical blocking device 108 via a connecting bar 110 to arotary motion. The rotary motion indicator handle 104 has three states,with the handle 104 pointing at: 3 o'clock (FIG. 5) in which the deviceis locked (in key-only implementations) or latched; 4 o'clock (FIG. 1)in which the device is open, and the latches 100 are waiting for aclosing action; and 6 o'clock (FIG. 3) in which the latches 100 areopen. When released, the blocking device 108's biasing spring takes thehandle 104 back to the 4 o'clock position. Rotating the indicator handle104 from 3 o'clock to 6 o'clock unlatches the rotors 102 by moving theblocking devices 108 linearly away from contact with the rotors 102.When all the strikes 106 are pushed into the rotors 102, the indicatorhandle 104 goes to the 3 o'clock position. The spring-biased blockingdevice 108 prevents the indicator handle 104 from going to the 3 o'clockposition until all rotors 102 are latched. These positions are forexplanation purposes only, and the actual positions can vary withimplementation.

While in the 3 o'clock position, the indicator handle 104 can be lockedby removing a key, by rotating the key in the handle 104 and thenremoving it, or by activating electronic locking.

In a preferred embodiment, the locking event for the enclosure door iscontrolled by an access signal from an access-control unit. Examples ofboth keypad- and remote-controlled access-control units are described inU.S. Pat. Nos. 5,617,082 and 6,359,547 and in U.S. Published PatentApplication US2003/0234719A1, which are incorporated herein by referencein their entireties.

Where a keypad lock mounted to an enclosure is used to access the motorcontrol as described in the patents listed above, the keypad lock offersa simple user interface of keys (such as twelve access buttons) and LEDlights or an LCD display to help the user enter access control commands,enter additional access codes, check the health of the battery, etc.

When an access-control unit is desired that has no point of attack, awireless remote control device may be used. Such a wireless accessdevice is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,617,082. This device offers abattery-saver feature to reduce power consumption of the lock as itwaits to receive an access-code transmission. Two examples of wirelessmedia used for this device are radio frequency and infrared. Thebattery-saver feature can be implemented in a number of ways: (a)full-time wherein batteries are used to power the lock; (b) not at allwherein the power to the lock is a DC power source; (c) a combination ofthese two modes, wherein the power-saver mode is used when it is notexpected that the lock will be immediately accessed or re-locked, andwherein the full-power mode is used when it is expected that the lockmay be immediately accessed or re-locked. A less desirable aspect of thebattery-saver feature is a time-delayed reaction to a lock or unlockaccess input. The dual mode takes advantage of the power-saver duringlong time periods when the lock most likely is not being locked orunlocked and takes advantage of the full-power mode to react quickly toa lock or unlock access-control signal.

Wireless access-control devices may take many forms, such as a remotetransmitter with a single access-code transmit button. When this singletransmitter button is pressed, the complete access code is transmittedto the access-control receiver, as described in U.S. Published PatentApplication US2003/0234719A1. Alternately, the wireless device readsbiometric input such as a fingerprint to replace a single button as theuser interface.

The remote unit can also include several keypad buttons (labeled, forexample, “0” through “9”) to allow a user to enter input combinations tomake up an access code. As each button is pressed, an individual, uniquecode representing that button is transmitted to the access-control unit.The order and combination of the codes received from the remote make upthe access code for the enclosure. An example of such a device is theuniversal remote-control unit for a television or other consumer device.

In the example given above of a universal remote-control unit, problemsexist with annunciation and with user-friendly operation of the lock.For example, the universal remote typically contains only an LED lightindicating that a button was pressed and that a code was transmitted,but there is no confirmation that a particular code was received by theaccess-control unit. Embodiments of the present invention offer twosolutions to these problems.

As a first solution, the access-control unit contains an annunciationdevice such as LED lights, an LCD display, or an audio annunciator toprovide feedback for the user as to exactly how many key presses arereceived by the remote transmitter. Note that these annunciations do notgive any positive or negative feedback as to whether the code receivedwas valid or invalid, only that it was received. It also attempts toannunciate the order in which each code is received. For example, if theexpected code contains five digits, then the annunciator may attempt toeither light or un-light one LED for each code received, providing bothfeedback that the code was received and what receiving sequence thiscode was in as it was received. Typically, this annunciator is locatedsuch that it can be viewed from just in front of the door (say, up toten feet back from the door). Other messages may also be displayed suchas a confirmation that the complete correct code was received, that anincorrect complete code was received, that the battery is low, that anincorrect button was pressed, or that the mechanism should be unlocking.

As a second solution, the access-control unit can contain a transmissionsystem (typically using the same transmission medium as used by theremote unit), and the remote transmission unit can contain a wirelessreceiver system to receive the annunciation messages from theaccess-control unit. The same annunciation components can be used at theremote unit. Thus, the user transmits a code via the control unit; ifreceived, the access-control transmits a confirmation back to the remoteunit; and the remote unit displays an annunciation message to the userthat the code was received. Other messages may be displayed just likethe ones mentioned above.

The lock system can be power either by a battery source or by an AC orDC power source. If batteries are used, then it is assumed that they aremounted inside the enclosure and are not accessible while the door islocked. The batteries are monitored for their health, and a measure ofthat health is announced to the user as the enclosure is accessed orlocked. The batteries are usually non-rechargeable alkalines, althoughrechargeable types are possible.

In the event that the batteries are too low to operate the unit, thepreferred embodiment has a power input port that accepts a back-up powersource to power the lock thus allowing the lock mechanism to unlock oncea correct access code is received. This port does not provide a hotwireto over-ride the access-control system of the lock. One suchbattery-back-up unit is described in U.S. Provisional Patent Application60/523,505. In some cases, a simple nine-volt battery can be used.

In some embodiments, the clamping system consists of a base plate with agrooved steel wire shaped like a letter “L.” The “L”-shape has twogrooved legs. These two legs extend through the base plate. The legs areallowed to move up and down to accommodate various types of rack bars,but can be locked from moving up and down by two clamp jaws that areshaped to have a geometry matching that of the wire grooves. The jawshave alternately positioned areas that have no grooves. When positionedby the locking handle 104, these areas allow the wire to move freely.

This clamping is further improved by having at least one angle ramp orcam surface that lifts the wire upward after the motion has caused thejaws to clamp on the wire and after the handle 104 moves towards thelock position.

A safety catch has two functions. It first serves to prevent the car-topbox from lifting off in the event that the user does not clamp the box.Second, it holds the clamp handle down.

In view of the many possible embodiments to which the principles of thepresent invention may be applied, it should be recognized that theembodiments described herein with respect to the drawing figures aremeant to be illustrative only and should not be taken as limiting thescope of the invention. Those of skill in the art will recognize thatsome implementation details are determined by specific situations.Therefore, the invention as described herein contemplates all suchembodiments as may come within the scope of the following claim andequivalents thereof.

1. A rotor-latch system, the system comprising: a housing; a rotor pivotshaft supported by the housing; a rotor attached to the rotor pivotshaft, the rotor rotatable about an axis of the rotor pivot shaft; and astrike adapted to engage with the rotor and to disengage from the rotor;wherein when the strike is engaged with the rotor, the strike and rotorare adapted to serve as a hinge.